The Link: Fabian Cancellara’s Compiègne catapult

Tour de France – stage 3, July 10, 2007

Four riders swing left off the cobblestones of Compiègne to pass under the flamme rouge and begin the long, straight drag to the finish line, the peloton in hot pursuit. As the quartet begin the fateful hesitant dance of doom, Fabian Cancellara catapults out of the pack, surges straight past the escapees and powers away.

Hands on the hoods, mouth agape, the maillot jaune takes one final glance over his shoulder to see Zabel, Napolitano, Boonen and Hunter scrapping for the placings, before throwing his hands in the air for the only Tour de France road stage win of his career.

Suggested by Michael Holden

Your ideas to follow on from this Cancellara gem for issue 17.3, please. Another close-run win from a solo attack? Or a catch in the closing metres after an all-day break? A memorable Erik Zabel moment, perhaps?